Alfred Lawrie
{{short description|Scottish rugby union Player and international referee}}
{{Full citations needed|date=April 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Alfred Lawrie
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Alfred Ainslie Lawrie
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1882|10|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
| death_date = {{Death date and age |1942|05|2|1882|10|25|df=y}}
| death_place = North Berwick, Scotland
| height =
| weight =
| ru_position = Wing
| amatyears1 = 1903–05
| amatyears2 = 1905–
| amatteam1 = Oxford University
| amatteam2 = Edinburgh Wanderers
| ru_amclubcaps =
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| provinceyears1 = –
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| refereeyears1 = 1923
| refereeyears2 = 1926
| refereeyears3 = 1926
| refereecomps1 = Scottish Districts
| refereecomps2 = Five Nations Championship
| refereecomps3 = Melrose Sevens
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| other =
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| children =
| relatives = Charles Lawrie, son
| school = Fettes College
| university = Trinity College, Oxford
| website =
| module2 = {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes
| office = President of the Scottish Rugby Union
| term_start = 1936
| term_end = 1938
| predecessor = William Patrick Scott
| successor = William Halliday Welsh
| prior_term =
| order = 57th
}}
}}
Alfred Lawrie (1882–1942) was a Scottish rugby union player and an international referee. He became the 57th President of the Scottish Rugby Union.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/player/3071.html|title=Alfred Ainslie Lawrie|website=ESPN scrum}}
Rugby Union career
=Amateur career=
He was educated at Fettes College and Oxford University. At Oxford's Trinity College he played for the rugby union team Oxford University,{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19420504/017/0002|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}} receiving his first 'blue' on 1903.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000452/19420509/089/0003|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
On his return to Scotland, Lawrie played for Edinburgh Wanderers.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000452/19051222/073/0007|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000452/19030103/065/0003|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
=Referee career=
He refereed the Scotland Probables versus Scotland Possibles match in December 1923.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000469/19231227/049/0007|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
He became an international referee. He refereed the Ireland versus France match in the Five Nations Championship of 1926.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/19309.html|title=Ireland v France|website=ESPN scrum}}
Lawrie refereed in the 1926 Melrose Sevens.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002783/19260416/085/0004|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
=Administrative career=
He was a committee member of the SRU before becoming President.
He was the 57th President of the Scottish Rugby Union, in post from 1936 to 1938.{{cite web |url=https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf |title=Scottish Rugby Record |publisher=s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com |date= |accessdate=2020-04-01 |archive-date=16 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116210013/https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf |url-status=dead }}
His time as President was notable as he gave comprehensive statements to the Press after General Meetings of the SRU. This was reported as a 'revolutionary break with tradition' for the SRU.
Cricket career
He played cricket both for Fettes College and Trinity College in Oxford.{{cite web|url=http://stats.edgbaston.com/Archive/Players/951/951442/951442.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=stats.edgbaston.com}}
Stockbroking and business career
He was a senior partner in the firm Lawrie & Ker of Edinburgh. In 1925, he became a member of the Edinburgh Stock Exchange Committee; in 1931 he was elected its chairman.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19420504/080/0004|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
He held many directorships of various companies:- the first, second and third Edinburgh Investment Trusts; Murrayfield Ice Rink and Sports Stadium; Oregon Mortgage Company; Realisation and Debenture Corporation of Scotland; the Scottish Insurance Corporation; and the Scottish Reversionary Company.
He was the Chairman of Rest Hotels; and the St. Andrews Trust.
He was a Vice-President of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce until 10 days before his death, when he retired due to ill-health.
Other interests
He wrote a register of Fettes College in 1923; 'The Fettes College Register 1870–1922'.{{cite web|url=http://www.authorandbookinfo.com/cgi-bin/auth.pl?L001189|title=Author – Alfred Ainslie LAWRIE|website=www.authorandbookinfo.com}} He was a Governor of the Fettes Trust. He refereed the College Sports Day in 1922.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19220403/210/0004|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
During the Second World War he joined the Special Constabulary. He also did philanthropic work with the Church of Scotland for the Hut and Canteen work for H.M. armed forces; and was an elder of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19420506/115/0004|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
He was a Chairman of the West Edinburgh Unionist Association.
He was also a Justice of the Peace for Edinburgh City Council.
Death
Lawrie died on 2 May 1942 at his home in North Berwick. He was cremated on 5 May 1942.{{cite web|url=https://www.deceasedonline.com/servlet/GSDOSearch?lang=E&fileid=2283785&AcctView=Login&SrchView=Basic&DetsView=Summary|title=Alfred Ainslie Laurie|website=www.deceasedonline.com}}
He died in the same weekend as Patrick Munro. Munro had a similar career to Lawrie: both went to Oxford University and played for the Oxford University rugby union side, both breaking through in 1903; both became Presidents of the Scottish Rugby Union; and both were prominent Unionists.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000452/19420504/049/0002|title=|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
References
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Category:Scottish rugby union players
Category:Presidents of the Scottish Rugby Union
Category:Edinburgh Wanderers players
Category:Oxford University RFC players
Category:Scottish Districts referees
Category:Scottish rugby union referees